[Grandavi]

Well, I say silly question because, usually thats where i start. Past that is a lot.. and I mean a lot.. more complex. I dont know if any other users have seen this before, but you talk about a whole whack of different issues, but only address one problem. Not sure what hot means to you. Is it slightly hotter? Or is it like Redline hot? Also, your changing stock settings without really explaining why or how (other than the 10 deg before TDC). I am assuming you only ran with the cap off to make sure the coolant was actually working.

So, unless someone has seen this before and can guess what the problem probably is, I would suggest getting back to basics. Dont advance the timing, keep it as factory specified. Make sure you did the water/antifreeze mixture correctly (I assume you have antifreeze in it.. but Im in Canada and you may do something differenty).

You asked "Could I also be gettn hot because my rubber elbo between the air intake and turbo is cracked and not air tight and one of the vacuums that runs off of it is slightly pinched off because it is actually a heater hose rather than a hard pipe as it was stock."
That kinda scares me.. because now I wonder what else is "kinda" wrong under the hood. So.. it begs to be asked... did you personally do the head gasket?

Maybe someone here knows if a poorly installed headgasket can lead to heat issues. I remember my first Toyota Corrolla 1200CC rebuild.. Beautiful job.. but I put the thrust bearings in backwards (which is quite simple to do in that motor if you get distracted right at that time.. lol).

Sometimes a big problem starts at the beginning.

Sorry I couldnt give you a magic answer.. Just trying to fish and maybe spark a thought with you that might point you in the right direction.


P.s. just read previous posts. At some point when you have as many problems as you are having, try to find an expert (ie. mechanic or someone who knows their stuff). Make it a live person though, to actually see and hear what you have accomplished and the problems at hand. If you are trying to learn how to do this all by yourself... all the reading in the world doesnt make up for real experience. I usually take my projects to a certain point and if Im not happy at that point, I call for help. Better to learn how to rebuild properly than to do it wrong and think its right. If there is some small issues now, they may grow to be big issues if you miss them.
I only point that out because none of us are getting more information from you than what you type. Seeing and Hearing go much farther.